A NEAT reduction of complex neuronal models accelerates brain research

Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain, are complex computers by themselves. They receive input signals on a tree-like structure—the dendrite. This structure does more than simply collect the input signals: it integrates and compares them to find those special combinations that are important for the neurons' role in the brain. Moreover, the dendrites of neurons come in a variety of shapes and forms, indicating that distinct neurons may have separate roles in the brain.